


Run Run Rudolph

by Panda365



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Incredible Hulk (Comics)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Comedy, Fun, Gen, Gift Giving, Science Bros, Short & Sweet, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, brucemas2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:47:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28071204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Panda365/pseuds/Panda365
Summary: Tony needs to find THE perfect gift for Pepper and drags his friend along for the ride.*Day one of Brucemas loosely using the prompt ‘Hugs’.*
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7
Collections: Brucemas 2020





	Run Run Rudolph

Tony comes running into the lab like a man on a mission...nah, like his pants are on fire while he shouts;

"Trouble in paradise!"

Bruce Banner casually looks up above the frame of his glasses, soft curl above his forehead when he smirks all proud of his incoming joke;

"Pepper finally dumped you?"

"I hate you,' Tony gives an icy glare, 'No! I need to find her the perfect gift."

Banner casually looks over his shoulder to silently address the stack of twenty they wrapped together- or rather, that Tony had Bruce wrap because the engineer claimed to be ‘incompetent with tape’. The millionaire brushes him off with a wave and steals his spot at the workbench, "No no no. Those are just gifts I need THE gift. The one you give at the after party when it's just the two of you on a chilly balcony under romantic Christmas lights…"

It's too perfect a statement for him not to be quoting Pepper at this very moment. Bruce crosses his arms and lifts an eyebrow, "Sounds like a Hallmark movie-."

"Exactly! Hold up- you watch hallmark movies?! You need a subscription for the new year-Never mind! I need _the_ gift and I need it before tomorrow's party!"

The engineer snaps his fingers and Bruce abandons the current project at hand to grab a jacket and help his friend, "Okay! Where to?"

"Tinkersphere."

Banner cringes, "The tech shop?! I realize I'm out of practice when it comes to dating but I don't think Pepper-."

"Get in the car! She’s a nerd. Time is wasting," Tony pushes the physicist along and out of the tower toward the garage.

Four shops later and Tony still hasn't settled. He's running like a mad man and Bruce can hardly keep up. The random "What do you think" questions always result in silent judgement from the scientist even when he doesn't mean to let it slip.

They walk the city street toward store number 5 when Bruce decides to rant about his disgust for the holiday and its commercialism.

Stark holds the door for their next shop, "Is that Hulk talking or your personal feelings-."

"My feelings."

"Well! We're in this deep. I like the lights and Pep likes the presents so! Help me find something amazing. Another Louis Vuitton? Prada? Fuzzy socks? A new blanket? Any of that sound appealing at all?"

Banner shrugs.

Tony sighs, "Aight! You go down that aisle I'll go down this one. Meet back at the starting gate in thirty?"

Bruce nods and accepts his mission. An hour before closing and they're still empty handed.

"Nothing?" Tony grumbles disappointedly and waves to have them step back outside.

"That blanket idea…"

"Cashmere, obviously."

"Maybe she'd like jewelry more…?"

"Nah! If you like the blanket we get the blanket. It's the first idea you haven't wrinkled your nose at and given me those adorable but ever so judgy brown eyes for. So! To…,' he pivots on the city street, 'Err! This way."

Stark and Banner make their way through the shop and locate a warm blanket. Without a second thought Tony is ready to settle on the gray with purple stripes. Bruce points to suggest a more feminine white and turquoise that would match her office space but Stark disagrees;

"Trust me! Purple is her favorite color."

When they arrive back at the tower, Tony insists on wrapping this one himself and Bruce couldn't be prouder. He's even selected a fancy card, claiming to write an apology for driving his poor girlfriend up the wall for the past year.

* * *

It's Christmas Eve and it's time to exchange some presents. Tony of course has to pick up his own, camping on the ground for the evening. He smiles when he hands Pepper her onslaught of presents she can't keep track of.

One of the last neatly wrapped boxes gets handed to Bruce with a cough. The physicist points to himself in a bit of confusion and Tony just nods;

"For you. For putting up with my crap day in and day out and for not running away when I tell you to wrap twenty presents for Pep…"

Potts slaps his shoulder and gives him a scolding, shamelessly in front of their company.

Banner unwraps the package like his dissecting an animal that's gone extinct. It triggers Tony a bit so he tears the side to give the physicist a boost;

"There! I started it for ya! Pull. Tear it like the hulk."

Bruce smiles nervously and consents to a decent enough tear to get the wrapping off. His brow furrows over the purple blanket and he questions;

"This is for me?"

Tony shrugs with a smile, "You're impossible to shop for! You never gave me a Christmas list because you're a pain in the butt so I had to think up a proper scheme. You like it?"

The physicist nods, genuinely grateful, "Yeah. I just- wasn't expecting presents, crashing your Christmas and all...thank you."

Tony waves his finger, "You're not crashing, you're family now, so! Oh! And the card is for you too. It's a grotesque list of apologies for every time I've poked you, stabbed you, antagonized you in the past year- don't! Don't open it in front of Pep. She doesn’t know half of it and I’d like to keep it that way.”

Bruce lifts the sealed card with a chuckle, "Thanks Tony. Really. This is so nice of you. I appreciate it."

Stark coughs and opens his arms as if his friend should fill in the blanks. He mumbles with a groan when Bruce doesn't, "Oh for frick's sake Banner, are you anti-hugs too?! Anti-anything fun.”

"Hugs are fine,” Bruce stands to meet his boss, his obnoxious best friend in a warm embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Drop a comment!


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